Due to requirements by airlines for two or three hour check-ins you can often spend more time in an airport than you do on the plane even ignoring the problem of delays. Travelling by plane with children can be difficult at the best of times with tight spaces, increased security and long walks to distant departure gates but with the added pressure of delays even before you board the plane you need to be well prepared to survive the journey. Managing expectations and good packing of things to keep the kids busy and entertained at airports are key.
We have lots more airport family travel tips in our how to entertain the kids section including car and travel games and free colouring links as well as a step by step guide to how to travel by plane with the kids.
Top ten tips for keeping the kids occupied at the airport
1. Almost every airport will have seating areas and shops that sell food, reading materials and drinks and you can check out the facilities generally for most airports on their websites before you travel or ask while you are there as they could be just around the corner.
2. If you know you have a delay or are waiting to board try to get a seat where the kids can have something to do or see either a play area or near a big window so you can do some plane spotting.
3. Despite what adults may feel about airports, children find them a great source of entertainment. Try to use the airport to entertain the kids where you can. There are trolleys, shops, slippery floors, moving escalators and of course the planes to spot. Let your children do some supervised exploring and some plane watching as this may exhaust them before the flight.
4. If your children can read, try to get them to identify your departure gate and check-in gate and where possible engage them in the process by explaining to them all about check-in, immigration, security and boarding.
5. Manage expectations for kids and explain delays where possible such as the recent delays in Dublin. If the kids are prepared for a delay they may cope with it better.
6. Clearing security can be time-consuming particularly if you are carrying extras like a buggy or a carry cot. Give yourself plenty of extra time. These days, security checks can involve everything from removing your belt, shoes and jackets to emptying your pockets. Remember if you are buying drinks and juices, buy them after you go through security.
7. Keeping the kids entertained is a real art and this is generally through preparation, preparation, preparation. Do not bother taking too many bulky toys and books as these can be heavy and cumbersome and attention spans can be very short. Small pocket or mini educational computers are a great idea including Leapfrog, Dora/Barbie computers, Nintendo's and portable DVD players(bring extra batteries if you are on a long flight with the kids). Twistable crayons for older kids and colouring books are good to pass the time as well as small sticker books. It is also best to avoid anything that may melt in the heat such as wax crayons or Play-Doh which can dry up and stain.
8. When travelling, children love to play with others and it may be good idea to small bring toys that can be shared.
9.There are lots of free options for entertaining your children including card games, charades, i-spy (try colours for younger kids), hangman, spot the difference and storytelling and this is a good time to spend quality time with your children just chatting and reading.
10.Depending on the age of your children toys and healthy snacks can be a great way to pass the time. Raisins and things that are slow to eat are a good distraction tactic.
You will find lots of family friendly travel tips and advice in our research and advice section to help you book the right family holiday. Check out also the experiences of other parents and travellers in our parents forum and add your own experiences as we are a great believer in real parent's experiences as the best measure of whether somewhere will suit you for your family holiday.
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